After achieving an international presence last year with "I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll" last year, Kolkata-based dream pop duo Parekh & Singh (instrumentalist/vocalist Nischay Parekh and percussionist/producer Jivraj Singh) have recreated their appealing blend of whimsical ballads and charming Wes Anderson-inspired Indian countryside visuals with "Ghost":
'Sometimes I get much closer than I intend
The other time I just like to sit out on the fence
Most times I can't even tell the difference
Partially a ghost
Don't you get too close
I love you way more than you know
I'm partially a ghost
We tried to get back to the way it was back then
It is the best thing to do and trouble ends
But then why did the world make me what I am within?
Change my life just upon a whim
Jump into the ocean learn to swim
Come to summer, winter, all and the seasons
I guess that might be the reason
That I'm a ghost
I'm partially a ghost
I love you more than you know
That's why I'm a ghost'
The romantic sensibilities of the track are effectively conveyed with a looping drum and melodic piano rhythm, while the airy lightness of Parekh's vocals detracts from the pessimism of the song's lyrics. Parekh has explained that “Ghost is about disappearing more than anything else. The part of life that remains unseen and unfelt is a mysterious and interesting subject to explore. While writing this song I thought about what it would be like to be totally invisible and still wanting things that were real and tangible, the things we don't see still exist" ().
Parekh and Singh's output have been deemed to be 'un-Indian' due to their avoidance of sitars and tablas; their penchant for sonic minimalism and romantic ambivalence also sets them apart from the kind of maximalist optimism that has long been favored by Bollywood soundtrack formulas. Achieving distinction in the international indie scene, however, might require more sonic and lyrical innovation.
